Garner was involved in a fight. The cops were called. The police wanted to handcuff him (place him under arrest) until they could find out what really happened.
He resisted arrest. He argued with the cops and swatted away their hands during their first attempts to NOT USE FORCE. He gave them no choice.
He died because he had asthma , heart disease ,was obese and over exerted himself in the struggle. His heart couldn't take it.
If he had run from the police and had a heart attack, would you have blamed the cops for his death ?
Not sure why you pinged me unless it was to share the info about the fight he was in prior to the cops arriving. Didn't know that, and can't recall seeing it in any of the articles I read on the topic. Having had to restrain multiple convicts through my 25 years as a correction officer, I fully understood, and had no problem with the cops doing their job that day. Garner died because of his own stupidity, plain and simple.